The curriculum is meant to expand on what the Massachusetts Medical Society already knows about the drug, and isn’t meant to endorse or stop anyone from using pot.

While medical providers can’t prescribe their patients marijuana, the educational program can help them council patients in the risks and benefits of smoking marijuana.

“That’s where this continuing education course can come in very handy because as physicians, we are the stewards of the science of medicine and we need to be able to communicate that to our patients,” said Dr. Robert Roose, VP Behavioral Health at Mercy Medical Center.

Some of the risks and benefits are outlined in the program, which includes information on the medical use of marijuana for 10 different diseases such as ALS, cancer, Parkinson’s disease, and AIDS.

The President of the Massachusetts Medical Society says the online program includes the strongest and most comprehensive research that is currently available.